ramblings from a girl on the go

Elections Matter

This is a cross-post from the PAC Blog for the Ohio Right to Life PAC. Thanks for reading!

This may be our mantra for the next five months until November comes, but it’s true. The people that we elect are our voice and make decisions on our behalf. That’s no less true for Election 2016.

As I write this, former Ohio governor and senate candidate Ted Strickland is getting ready to meet with Cecile Richards, CEO of Planned Parenthood, the kingpin of the abortion industry. At 1pm they will be having a women’s health roundtable at the Ohio Democratic Party headquarters in Columbus.

I’m just going to be honest: this bothers me. If Ted Strickland is pro-women, and genuinely interested in having a women’s health roundtable, you’d expect to have some medically qualified experts sitting in on this table. As far as the news coverage is saying right now, it’s just him and Cecile Richards. By all accounts, Ms. Richards is an activist. She is not a doctor, nor does she have some sort of medical expertise. She used to be a Democrat grassroots organizer, and before that was deputy chief of staff for Rep. Nancy Pelosi. While I understand that she is now the CEO of Planned Parenthood, why is she the only voice speaking on women’s healthcare?

And this is why I want to emphasize that elections matter. Ted Strickland is running to be one of the senators representing Ohio in Congress. A man who thinks that having a “women’s health roundtable” means inviting his buddy Cecile over for a chat on how business is booming for Planned Parenthood is not someone I want creating policy for women. This is why it is important to re-elect Senator Rob Portman. Rob has a 100% rating with National Right to Life, and voted with the majority of other Senate Republicans to pass a bill de-funding Planned Parenthood, to send it to the President.

These elections matter because putting someone in office who thinks that Planned Parenthood is the end all be all of women’s healthcare is not the right choice for Ohio women. Senator Portman will better represent the women of Ohio, and won’t turn to Planned Parenthood for advice on policy for women’s health.

It’s not just true for the senate race though. Elections matter in general, and 2016 will prove to be a very important election. So before you get to the ballot box, do some research. Figure out what issues are important to you and where the candidates stand. We need knowledgeable voters, and candidates who will get the job done, because what happens after the election will affect all of us.